Refrigerator truck body



1 mg. 9, 1932. E. .1. LccKwooD REFR IGERATOR TRUCK BODY Filed April 12, 1928 IXENTOR ATTORN EY Patented Aug. 9, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EDWIN J. LOCKWOOD, F PEEKSKILL VILLAGE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO DBYIGE EQUIPMENT CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE REFRIGERATOR TRUCK BODY Application filed April 12,

It is the object of my invention to design a truck body adapted for horse drawn and motorpropelledvehicles,such as railroad cars, boats, aircraft and the like which will proa vide a maximum amount of refrigeration for the amount of refrigerant used. In my design and system I-do not use any mechanical or electrical self-contained apparatus to create my refrigerant but I use material other it than water ice, namely solidified gas such as carbon dioxide and the like. It is my object to design a body of this type suitable for the use of such solidified gas refrigerant in order to reduce the necessary body weights which it are required for mechanical, electrical, water ice or can container refrigerant systems and in this way I reduce the working loads on my truck mechanism and chassis. It is my further object in my inso vention to obtain the maximum safety with the type of solidified gas refrigerant used so that none of this gas when vaporized can possibl be injurious to the drivers or operators. disc b the elimination of refrigerant which when eated turn into water or liquid such as water ice and the like I eliminate the wet conditions in and about the truck bed which cause oxidation and deterioration of t e parts. A further object of my invention is to design a structure which will lend itself to the control of the flow of the vaporizgas under pressure while at the same time taxing care that the pressure does not become suficiently great to cause rupture of the parts.

Moreover it is one of my chief objects to so construct m body that for a given amount of solidifie gas refrigerant a maximum amount of refrigerated surface will be utilized for a minimum amount of refrigeran It is my further object also to locate the mass of solidified gas refrigerant at a critical point in the body compartments so that upon the application of heat to it due to I the opening of the doors, the leakage through the other openings in the outer body and 1928. Serial No. 269,354.

otherwise, a definite fiow of vaporized gas refrigerant throughout and about the portion of the body desired to be refrigerated will take place. That is to say, I proportion the amount of my solidified gas refrigerant with the other proportions of the refrigerating container, the truck body, the door openings, the cubical body ofspace in the container itself and the other material factors in such fashion that for a given amount of refrigerant I obtain the maximum amount of refrigeration with the minimum amount of waste. In other words, ithas been my purpose in my invention to obtain the maximum amount of commercial efficiency per pound of refrigerant used. 7

My invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawing in which like numbers refer to like parts in the several views.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view, partially in phantom. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation on the line 22. By reference to Fig. 2 it will be seen that the principal feature of my device consists in circulating the vaporized gas arising from the solidified gas refrigerant 14, situated in the container 13, along the lines indicated by the arrows completely circulating and surrounding the inner refrigerated chamber 6 of the truck body. In utilizing solidified gas refrigerants in truck bodies and the like in the past the practice has been to simply place a container such as 13 at the top of the refrigerated chamber 6 and the container 13 was provided in such cases with holes or with pipes leading to various parts of the refrigerated space 6. This method was extremely wasteful in that as soon as the doors a and 5 were opened to remove the contents of the truck such as ice cream and the like the hot atmospheric air caused the solidified gas 14 to rapidly sublime and to allow the gas to flow into the refrigerated chamber, then to flow out through the doors on to the ground, also against the face and body of the operator. It is, of course, apparent that in such a system enormous amounts of gas are wasted. In my system by preventing the introduction of the gas directly into the chamber 6 and by circulating it about and around said space, it is at once apparent that I am saving this gas which was heretofore wasted and at the same time obtaining the maximum amount of refrigeration, removin all the cold units available in the gas an subjecting it by circulation control means, hereafter explained, toa definite control for any given amount of refrigeration desired. It will be seen that my truck body may consist of one or more separate sections, 1,1 and 1", having roof portions 2, having a co extensive channel section 3, connected at its rearward end to a pipe 10 throu h a valve 11, the bottom of pipe 10 being equlpped with the valve 12. The outer portion of the body 1 is provided with an access door 4 giving access to the inner cell portion 6 which in turn is equipped with the door 5. Of course it is evident that the doors 4 and 5 may be, if desired, only one door. The inner chamber 6 is mounted on the stringers 7 and 7 as shown. I also provide the valve 18 in the bottom of the outer section between the stringers 7 and 7 for the purpose of draining any possible moisture which may develop between the outer and inner sections due tothe condensation of the gas or any other. moisture and to afford circulation of the gas under the bottom thereof. Also the upper portion of the chamber 6 is provided with a securely su ported receptacle member 13 containing t e solidified gas refrigerant 14. The material ,moval of all its cold units.

bein shipped such as ice cream and the like may e in the containers 16, as shown. Each of the sections 1, 1 and 1 may be separated completely by the partitions 8 but preferably connected as stated b the common channel 3 for the escape of the waste gas after re- The top sections of each com artment are completely separated by the aterally extending baflie board 9 as'shown.

I have also indicated the cab portion of the truck body 15 in the drawing. Also I ma use various designs of my receptacle 13 an it may also be insulated from the refrigerated space 6 by felt or by other non-conductor or there may be provided an air space between the receptacle proper and the inner chamber 6 and by providing manual or other means such as a shutter or the like indicated at 17 for regulating the amount of exposed surface between the refrigerated space and the bottom and sides of the receptacle 13. It must be understood that while the purpose of the shutter 17 is for controlling the volume of atmosphere in chamber 6 with regard to its contacting the surface of the receptacle 13, this shutter also may be used to control the rate of flow or permeation of the evaporated gas from the receptacle 13 which I may permit to flow directly into chamber 6 by simply perforating a portion of the sides or bottom of the receptacle 13 (said perforations not being shown on the drawing) or in any other suitable manner.

The 0 eration is'as follows :The products to be re rigerated having been placed in the chamber 6, a definite amount of solidified gas is laced in the receptacle 13 and so for each 0 the other sections of the truck body if such be the case. At the beginning the interior is, obviously at about atmospheric temperature, the doors 4 and 5 having been opened and are now closed. A certain amount of the refri erant 14 vaporizes and circulates upwar but cannot go out through the channel 3 by reason of the baffle board 9. It therefore proceeds in the other direction downward along the side of the body between the outer and inner walls along the bottom, up on the other side, between or about the doors and across the top to the bafile 9. This gas is facilitated in this circulation not only by reason of the pressure created by its expansion but also the weight of the gas itself tends in the first instance to cause it to drop down into the vertically disposed channel. More over, when it approaches channel 3 and tends to go out to the rear end of the truck, I have provided a downward disposed pipe section 10 with valve 12 which creates a definite siphon condition, if necessary, to ex edite the flow in the initial period for quic cooling which flow can, of course, be regulated by the valves 11 and 12. I also provide an outlet at the top of the pipe 10 on the other side of the valve 11 (not shown in the drawing). Of course it must be understood that I can introduce outlets in the outer cell of the body or at an point in the sides, roof or bottom thereof w ich I may deem necessary for any given condition. It is apparent that the cold carrying gas has been introduced to all points in contact with the chamber 6, which I may desire to refrigerate and have simultaneously utilized the maximum amount of cold units for a given quantity of gas. Also it will appear that I have made available the control of the gas (1) by reason of the construction of the receptacle 13, (2) by reason of the gas being confined under pressure, (3) by reason of the natural gravity of the as and (4) by reason of the si hon effect on 51c rear. All of these metho of control can and are utilized depending upon the various factors in the design of the body proper and the amount of refrigerant and the location of the receptacle and the nature of the commodity to be refrigerated. It is,

of course, apparent that I may select a critical location either at the top, sides or bottom or the chamber 6 for the placingv of the receptacle 13 by moving the baflie 9 and the channel 3 and by other changes, all of which are within the scope and purport of my claims.

. The preferred embodiment of my invention is shown in the drawing where the receptacle is located towards the rear, i. e. away from the door of the top of the refrigerated space 6, it is in this position that I can most readily secure the maximum amount of refrigeration for a given volume in the chamber 6 with the minimum amount of the solidified refrigerant. It must also be understood, of course, that where commodities such as meat, fruit and the like are being transported I may provide an access from the receptacle 13 and through the shutter control portion 17 so that the vaporized gas may flow directly into the chamber 6 and come into direct contact with such commodities in cases where solid carbon dioxide is used in the refrigerant, because the gas has a definite preserving elfect on such commodities.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is 1. In a refrigerator truck body, containing a plurality of sections, each section having commodity access means and each containing solidified gas refrigerant, the vaporization from which is free to circulate coextensive with the hollow shell structure of said body and of each of said sections.

2. In a refrigerator truck body haying an outer air exposed portion, an inner unexposed portion, means of access to said inner portion, a receptacle for reception of a solidified gas refrigerant, the top of said receptacle allowing the vapor from said solidified gas refrigerant contained in said receptacle to pass to the channels formed by the space provided by said outer and inner portions to substantially surround said inner portion up to a point in the roof of said outer portion, and channel exhaust means extending rearwardly therefrom.

3. In a refrigerator truck body having an outer air exposed portion, an inner unexposed portion, means of access to said inner portion, a receptacle for reception of a solidified gas refrigerant, the top of said receptacle allowing the vapor from said solidified gas refrigerant contained in said receptacle to pass to the channels formed by the space provided by said outer and inner portions to substantially surround said inner portion, up to a point in the roof of said outer portion, and channel exhaust means extending rearwardly therefrom, a valve and pipe member connected to the end of said channel and extending downwardly therefrom.

4. In a refrigerator truck body having a plurality of sections, each section having an outer air exposed portion,'an inner unexposed portion, means of access to said inner portion, a receptacle for reception of a solidified gas refrigerant, the top of said receptacle allowing the vapor from said solidified gas refrigerant contained in said receptacle to pass to the channels formed by the space provided by said outer and inner portions, to substantially surround said inner portion, up to a point in the roof of said outer portion, and channel exhaust means extending rearwardly therefrom, a valve and ipe member connected to the end of said 0 annel and extending downwardly therefrom.

5. In a refrigerator truck body having an outer portion and an inner portion, the inner portion having near its top a receptacle, said receptacle containing solidified carbon dioxide gas, the top of said receptacle being connected to the channels created by said outer and inner portions, said channels being separated by a baflie late to direct the flow of the vaporized gas 0 said refrigerant into a rearwardly extending exhaust channel, said rearwardly extending exhaust channel being equipped with siphon means at its outward end and also being connected with a plurality of sections of said truck body.

6. In a refrigerator truck body containing an outer portion, an inner carrier portion, said inner carrier portion having therein a receptacle containing a solidified gas refrigerant, the vapor from which is free to circulate in the channels between the outer and the inner portion of the body with means for controlling the rate and volume of said flow and with means for permitting a predetermined portion of said vapor to seep into the inner portion thereof.

7. In a refrigerator truck body having an outer air exposed portion, an inner unexposed portion, means permitting access to said inner portion, a receptacle for the reception of a solidified gas refrigerant, the top of said receptacle allowing the vapor from said solidified gas refrigerant to pass to the channels formed by the space provided by said outer and inner portions, to partially surround said inner portion, up to a point in the roof of said outer portion, and channel exhaust means extending therefrom.

8. In a refrigerator truck body having an outer air exposed portion, an inner unexposed portion, means of access to said inner portion, a receptacle for the reception of a solidified gas refrigerant, the said receptacle allowing the vapor from said solidified gas refrigerant contained in said receptacle to pass to the channels formed by the space pro vided by said outer and inner portions, to completely surround said inner portion, up to a point in the roof of said outer portion, and channel exhaust means extending rearwardly therefrom, a valve and pipe member connected to the end of said channel and extending downwardly therefrom.

9. In a refrigerator truck body having an outer portion and inner portion, a receptacle containing solidified carbon dioxide gas, said receptacle connected to channels created by the outer and inner portions of said body, said channels being separated by bafile plates to direct the flow of the vaporized gas of said refrigerant into an exhaust channel, said channel being equipped with siphon means at its outward end and said exhaust channel being connected with a plurality of sections of said truck body.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand to these specifications this 29th day of March, 1928.

EDWIN J. LOCKWOOD. 

